“A Russian émigré who settled in South Africa, Tretchikoff claimed that by the end of his career he had sold half a million large-format reproductions of the ‘Chinese Girl’ print worldwide. This doesn’t include smaller print versions,” says the story, adding:

“Having spent his childhood in Harbin after his family fled Russia, Tretchikoff later moved to Shanghai, where he worked in advertising and commercial illustration until 1934.

“The ‘Chinese Girl’ is said to be inspired by the sitter Monika Sing-Lee whom the artist spotted in Cape Town and asked her to model for him.”